


Guy Code

by KleeHass



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate AU - University, Brother and sister Anne and Jerry, Diana and Cole are ride or die friends, Diana and Jerry are kind of gross but kind of cute too, F/M, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Shirbert, shirbert smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:06:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26240854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KleeHass/pseuds/KleeHass
Summary: A hookup at a frat party doesn't end as planned...or maybe it does? I suck at summaries haha
Relationships: Diana Barry/Jerry, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 33
Kudos: 177
Collections: Shirbert smut





	1. Chapter 1

“That guy cannot take his eyes off of you, Anne.” Cole whispered to her and Anne followed his gaze across the cafe. The guy in question quickly looked back down at his books giving her a chance to take him in. He was ridiculously hot, with curly black hair, a chiseled jaw that had just a hint of scruff showing, and broad shoulders she would love to get her hands on. 

“No way.” She shook her head. “He’s way hotter than me.” 

Cole rolled his eyes. “You, my dear, sell yourself short. It’s honestly cute how oblivious you are to the male - and female - stares you get around here.”

Now Anne rolled her eyes. “We’ve been on campus for like a week. It can’t have been that many. Plus they’re probably just wondering if I’m a natural red-head. That’s usually the first question I get from guys, remember? Does the carpet match the drapes?” She made a disgusted face. 

“Well, something tells me this guy isn’t like that. He looks too intense to be that gross.” 

Anne scoffed. “You can’t possibly know that from looking at him, Cole.” 

He laughed. “Maybe not. Anyway, I gotta go. Class.” He kissed her cheek and headed out of the cafe. Anne went back to her studying, materials spread out over the table, highlighters and pens lined up perfectly. After a minute she glanced up and found his eyes on her again. This time he didn’t look away and they stared at each other for a long minute before he gave her a slow, lazy smile. His dimples flashed and she felt a shot of heat go straight to her core. 

Flustered she looked back down at her books, face flushing. After she felt she’d composed herself a bit she looked back up to see him talking to a couple of people standing at his table. She stood up quickly, gathering her things and making a hasty retreat out of the cafe. 

***************************

“I mean. He was really, really hot, Di. Like way out of my league hot.” Anne said as she zipped up her boots. 

Diana laughed. “Anne. Look at yourself.” She turned her friend so they were both facing the mirror. Anne examined her reflection. Her hair was hanging in loose, long auburn curls, makeup done with a subtle smokey eye. The short skirt she was wearing showed off long, creamy legs that were mostly hidden by the boots that stopped just above her knees and the sweater she had on was tight and low cut, her push-up bra doing wonders for her cleavage. 

“Oh God. I look slutty. Why do I look slutty?” Anne suddenly panicked, reaching to take her sweater off. 

Diana laughed and stopped her. “You absolutely do not look slutty. You look fucking hot. You look like a healthy 18-year old woman about to go to her first frat party. Trust me, if anything, you’re out of his league.” Diana turned to finish getting dressed. “Do you think Jerry will be there?” She asked, trying to be nonchalant. 

Anne rolled her eyes. “Diana. Please. Do not tell me you’re going to try to hook up with my brother tonight.” 

“What?” Diana exclaimed innocently. “I’m just asking. We haven’t seen him since we got here and you know, he was in Ottawa doing that internship all summer so I just wondered if we’d be able to catch up with him.” 

Anne groaned. Diana had had a crush on Jerry since they were 12 and he was 15. He of course had always treated her like his little sister’s best friend. But Anne knew Diana was determined for him to stop seeing her that way and Anne couldn’t help worrying about her friend’s heart, knowing her brother’s tendency to play the field. 

“I assume he’ll be there since he’s the one who told me about it and it’s his frat house.” She replied, sliding her earrings on. 

“Good.” Diana shimmied into her dress. “Cause I can’t let this go to waste.” 

Anne turned around and gasped. The dress Diana had on left very little to the imagination. It was deep red and skin tight, the hem stopping just below her ass and the top barely contained her breasts. “Diana.” She laughed. “I can practically see your lady bits.” 

“What?” Diana looked in the mirror. “No you can’t, don’t be ridiculous.” She slid on her own knee high boots and a short leather jacket. “Ready?” 

“Shots first?” Anne asked, grabbing a bottle of vodka from their mini fridge. They each downed two in quick succession and headed out, crossing the giant campus and heading to the neighborhood that housed most of the Greek houses. They could hear the music pulsing from two blocks away and when they arrived there were already people scattered all over the front lawn. When they walked in they went straight to the kitchen to get drinks and were chatting with a few people over the music when Jerry appeared.

“Little sis!” Jerry grabbed Anne in a tight hug. He turned and his jaw dropped. “Diana Barry? Is that you?” He couldn’t help moving his eyes up and down her body. Anne rolled her eyes as Diana preened. 

“It’s me, Jerry.” She pulled him in for a hug. “We missed you this summer.” 

He managed to pick his jaw up off the floor and Anne didn’t miss him leaving his hand on Diana’s back even after they broke their hug. “Well, you’re all grown up.” He grinned at her then noticed the cup in her hand. “What are you drinking? Do not drink that shit.” He grabbed the drink out of her hand and poured it in the sink, turning and doing the same with Anne’s.

She laughed. “Seriously, Jerry? We’re not allowed to drink?” 

“Not that shit. Marilla will kill me if you get alcohol poisoning.” He pulled a large flask out of his pocket and poured a healthy amount in each of their cups then pulled the fridge open and added some OJ to each one. “There.” He said, satisfied. 

They chatted for a few minutes until Anne had to go to the bathroom. When she got back Diana and Jerry were nowhere to be found and she sighed, hoping her brother wouldn’t be too much of an asshole to her best friend. She finished her drink and feeling buzzed decided to head out to the dance floor. She was dancing for a couple of songs when she suddenly noticed the guy from the cafe a few feet away, they locked eyes and continued to dance never looking away from each other. Anne isn’t sure how long they stared at each other but suddenly their eye contact was broken by a guy bumping into her from behind. He grabbed her waist and she pulled away from him. 

“Damn, girl. You are fucking hot.” He drunkenly slurred and tried pulling her toward him but she elbowed him away. “Don’t be like that! I just wanna dance!” He yelled over the music. 

Before she could say anything the asshole was suddenly on the floor. She looked up, surprised to see cafe guy standing over him. “She doesn’t want to dance with you, Andrews. Fuck off.” 

“Damn, buddy. I was just having a good time.” The guy named Andrews muttered and gave Anne a dirty look before slinking off. 

“Sorry about him. He’s an asshole sober but get him drunk enough and he’s a fucking nightmare.” Cafe guy said and Anne looked up at him, her breath catching as she got a better look. He really was hot. Soft hazel eyes, slightly crooked nose, and dimples that flashed when he smiled. 

“Not your fault.” She finally managed to get out. “Thanks for saving me.” 

He grinned. “Let me know if you have any other dragons you need slaying.” 

She laughed. “I will. Wanna dance?” He nodded and they began moving to the music again, she turned and pressed herself back against him. His hands came up, low on her hips as they moved. When his head came down to nuzzle into her neck she brought her arms up and wrapped her hands behind his neck, holding him closer. It wasn’t long before they weren’t even pretending to dance, just grinding against each other, his erection pressing into her ass as he dipped low. His hands slid beneath her sweater and despite the heat of the packed room she shivered at the touch. 

She turned and nipped his earlobe. “Take me somewhere private.” She murmured and he didn’t hesitate. Grabbing her hand and leading her through the crowd of people. He took the stairs two at a time and she laughed, trying to keep up. He made a beeline for a door down the hall but groaned when he found it locked. 

“Bathroom okay?” He asked her and she nodded, biting her lip to keep from looking too eager. 

He pulled her into the bathroom across the hall and closed the door behind them, locking it quickly before turning around and wrapping his arms around her. He left the lights off, the moonlight coming through the window was just enough to see what they were doing. His lips crashed down on hers and it didn’t take much coaxing for her to open up, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. Their tongues twisted wildly as their hands tried desperately to explore every inch of the other’s body. His mouth moved to her neck and he yanked at her sweater, getting it over her head quickly. He paused to look at her breasts and his eyes flew up to hers. 

“Can I?” He asked and she nodded. He quickly reached behind her and unhooked her bra expertly, sliding it down her arms and releasing her breasts. “Jesus fuck. You have the most perfect tits I’ve ever seen.” He muttered before latching his mouth onto one of her nipples. She cried out and arched back, her hands tangled in his hair. He teased one until it was hard under his tongue before moving to the other one and giving it the same treatment. Then he began kissing down her stomach, leaving a wet trail down to the top of her skirt. He looked up at her expectantly and she nodded again, breathing hard. 

He reached under her skirt and lowered the thong she was wearing, maneuvering it over the boots she still had on before he shoved it into his back pocket. Suddenly his mouth was back on hers and he pushed her against the door. He had one hand clasped in hers, pinning it above her head while his other hand moved below her skirt. She opened her thighs for him and he grinned against her mouth as his fingers slipped through her folds. “God you’re so wet. Is that all for me?” 

She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about you like this since the cafe this morning.” She muttered. She knew she should be embarrassed to admit that to him but somehow she wasn’t. This guy, this hot guy who she didn’t even know the name of, was making her feel more comfortable in five minutes than she’d ever felt with her previous boyfriends. 

He groaned. “God I wanted to come talk to you so bad and then you were just gone.” He slipped first one then a second finger inside her and she moaned loudly. “When I saw you tonight I thought I’d won the fucking lottery.” He slid his thumb up through her folds and pressed against her clit. She jerked and arched her back, pressing herself into his hand. “You like that?” He muttered against her mouth and she nodded furiously. He began pumping his fingers inside her, curling them in time with the presses his thumb was doing against her nub. His mouth was on her neck, sucking just below her ear. She tensed up around his hand and brought her own to her mouth but he moved it aside with his cheek. “Uh-uh. I want to hear you come.” He muttered, pressing his forehead to hers. He sped his movements up and soon she found herself grinding against his hand and seeing stars as her orgasm coursed through her. She cried out loudly and arched, her nails digging into his shoulder as she came. He felt a gush of liquid cover his fingers and he kissed her hard as she came down from her high. 

“That was so fucking hot.” He muttered, sliding his fingers out of her. He trailed them slowly up her stomach, circling her nipples lazily. She opened her eyes to watch him, biting her lower lip as he slowly started to lick her juices off his finger. She stopped him, grabbing his hand and bringing it to her lips and slowly lowering her mouth over one digit. He made a low, guttural sound and pressed against her, his eyes taking in every movement she made. When she was done she leaned back against the door and smiled at him. “Fuck. Where the hell did you come from?” He asked, awestruck. 

She laughed and pulled at the hand he still had pinned above her head. He released her immediately and she moved both hands to the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head before moving to his belt buckle. Once she had his pants and boxers down, she wrapped a small hand around his cock, pleased at the size and hardness. She rubbed her thumb over the tip and spread the liquid there over the head, making him grunt. “Condom?” She asked and he opened his eyes and nodded. He stepped out of his pants and boxers, kicking them to the side before hurrying to the bathroom sink and opening drawers frantically. He finally found one and returned to her quickly. 

“Benefit of fucking in a frat house, there must be condoms everywhere.” She joked and he laughed, not even bothering to deny it. He tore it open and rolled it on quickly. 

“You’re sure, yeah?” He asked and she nodded eagerly, reaching for him and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“Absolutely. Fuck me hard.” She whispered into his ear. 

He groaned and quickly lifted her up, leaning her back against the door. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her booted feet digging into his back. She bit her lip as he lined himself up and rubbed the head of his dick through her folds, spreading her arousal before aligning himself with her entrance. He paused and looked her in the eyes. “At the risk of sounding really uncool I want you to know I don’t do this.”

“Fuck girls in your bathroom?”

“Well yes that but also girls I don’t even know. But I haven’t stopped thinking about you all day and God I don’t know, I guess I just felt a connection.” He gave a self deprecating laugh. “Is that super lame? We can stop if you’re like, totally turned off right now.”

She bit her lip. “It’s not lame at all and I don’t do this either. I - I think I felt it too.” She squeezed her legs around him, forcing his body closer and he made a low sound in the back of his throat as the tip of his cock slipped inside her. “And I’m definitely not turned off. I really want you.” She murmured, closing her eyes. 

He took a deep breath and pushed all the way inside her, they both moaned and stilled, breathing hard as he filled and stretched her. 

“Jesus you feel amazing.” He muttered. 

When he started to thrust she opened her eyes and found him staring at her. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and held his gaze. Blue eyes staring into hazel as they moved, finding their rhythm quickly. He leaned forward to kiss her and began pumping faster as his tongue found hers. After several minutes he adjusted the angle slightly and began to thrust harder. She broke the kiss and leaned her head back against the door. 

“Yes.” She panted. “Like that. Just like that.” 

He obliged, picking up speed, vaguely aware of how loud the rhythmic banging was against the bathroom door. He felt her move one hand from his neck and he watched her slide it between their bodies to rub circles around her clit. His breath hitched as he watched her and he started fucking her harder and faster, determined to come at the same time she did. She suddenly tensed around him and his balls tightened. She cried out, chanting yes several times as she came and he buried his face in her neck, grunting as he spilled himself into the condom. 

They stilled for a long moment, catching their breath before he slipped out of her and took care of the condom. When he turned back around she was hooking her bra back on. 

“That was by far the hottest thing I’ve ever done.” He told her and she laughed. 

“Me too.” She admitted. 

“Those boots. I swear to God for as long as I live I will be jerking off to the image of you in nothing but those boots.” He chuckled breathlessly as he pulled his jeans back on. 

“Well that’s quite a compliment, I hope the memory is still holding up when you’re 90.” She joked, sliding her sweater back on. 

“Oh it will, trust me.” He held out her thong to her. “You want this back?” 

“Naw. You keep it.” She flashed a smile at him and his heart stopped. “Souvenir.” She slid some fingers through her hair, trying to tame it down. “Besides, now you can spend the rest of the night knowing I’m naked under my skirt.” 

He groaned. “Jesus you’re trying to kill me aren’t you? I don’t even know your name and you’re trying to kill me.” 

She laughed and opened the door. They walked out into the hall together and Anne was just about to tell him her name when she heard Diana’s voice calling for her. She hurried down to the end of the hallway. “Diana?” Anne called out and the brunette brought her head out from the room she’d been peering into. 

“There you are!” Her friend bounced to her and threw her arms around the red-head. “Where have you been?” She looked over Anne’s shoulder to see Gilbert standing there and her mouth formed an ’oh’ and she looked at Anne with a wicked smile. “Oh I see.” She moved past Anne and stuck out her hand. “Hi. I’m Diana, Anne’s best friend. And you’re…?”

Before he could reply Jerry came thundering up the stairs. “Gilbert! There you are, man! I’ve been looking for you!.” He spotted Anne and Diana. “Oh I see you met my little sister and her friend.” 

“Uh little sister?” Gilbert asked, looking dumbly at the girls and praying to whatever god was listening Jerry meant the brunette. No such luck. 

“Yep.” He put his arm around the red-head’s shoulder. “This is my little sister, Anne.”

“Little sister.” He repeated dumbly and finally looked at Anne. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open slightly. 

“You’re Gilbert Blythe? Jerry’s roommate?” She asked him and he nodded. 

“I’m so glad two of my favorite people in the whole world have finally met.” Jerry slurred as he hugged Anne to him. “Don’t even think of laying a hand on her though, Blythe. I’ll kill you.” He said and Gilbert must have looked sick because Jerry laughed. “I’m joking, man! I mean I will but like I’m joking.” He kept laughing and Diana bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Anne and Gilbert’s faces. 

Jerry was thankfully too drunk to notice and he grabbed Diana’s hand, hauling her back down the stairs. “Let’s get back to the party!” He yelled over his shoulder and they disappeared. 

“Well, fuck.” He muttered, lifting his hand to scratch the back of his neck anxiously. 

“Yeah.” She suddenly started giggling and soon found herself doubled over and laughing so hard tears were running down her face. 

“I don’t know what you think is so funny.” He mumbled. “You’re my best friend’s little sister. Wait. How old are you?” 

That sobered her up a bit and she gave him a look. “I’m 18.” 

He let out a relieved breath. “That’s right. Jerry said you were starting your freshman year.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I don’t get it, you don’t look anything like him.” 

She looked surprised. “Jerry’s never told you?” 

“Told me what?” He asked, perplexed. 

“Well, we’re both adopted. I mean, we grew up together in foster care and then we got adopted together.” 

“Oh.” He shook his head. “No, he’s never told me that. I mean he’s told me home is a successful dairy farm on P.E.I. and he’s told me a little about your parents. He does talk about you a lot though he never said you guys were adopted.” 

“Matthew and Marilla are our parents but they’re actually siblings. But yeah, it’s not really something either of us likes talking about but especially him. He had it worse than me…” She trailed off and he nodded sympathetically. 

“Well. This is a mess. He cannot know about this.”

“What?” She looked taken aback and he backtracked quickly. 

“I mean it was fucking awesome, and the hottest thing I’ve ever done but I mean, you’re Jerry’s sister. I can’t - we can’t -” He stopped when she held up a hand. 

“Save it.” She muttered and stalked to the stairs. 

“Anne, wait.” He grabbed her arm and she stopped to look back at him expectantly. 

“I’m sorry, I just...you know, guy code and all that bullshit.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Gilbert.” She muttered and headed down the stairs, leaving him standing in the hallway wondering how exactly he’d just gone from the best night of his life to the worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just assume Gilbert isn't very active on social media...I actually kind of think that gels with this particular Gilbert lol


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of weeks later Anne was walking across campus, arms full of books she’d just picked up from the library. She heard the distant rumble of thunder and glanced up at the sky, cringing at the dark clouds rolling in. She picked up speed but had a feeling she wasn’t going to make it to her dorm. Sure enough she felt fat drops hitting her head a minute later and she looked around, trying to determine the nearest place to seek shelter. She spotted the university’s postal building and made a beeline for it, pushing through the doors just as the skies opened up behind her. 

Breathing hard she glanced around the large open area line with small post boxes. There was a long table in the middle that had tall stools lining it so she headed over there, dumping the books unceremoniously on the table and jumping onto the stool. 

“Can I help you?” She heard a voice and turned to see a blonde haired guy sitting behind the desk at the other end of the building. 

“Uh, no thanks.” She called and gestured outside. “I just don’t have an umbrella on me and didn’t want to get caught in that.” She turned back to her books and didn’t notice him walking up until he was across from her. 

She looked up and he smiled. “I don’t blame you, it’s really coming down out there. Definitely would have ruined those books.” 

She nodded. “I literally just checked them out of the library too. Would have been a pretty hefty fine.” 

“Yeah, not to mention they’re books. Ruining any book should be a crime punishable by death.” He grinned at her. 

She smiled back. “I feel the same way actually. You must be an English major too.” 

He laughed. “Guilty.” He stuck his hand out and she shook it. “James. Sophomore.” 

“Anne. Freshman.” 

“Nice to meet you Freshman English Major Anne. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty happy you stumbled your way in here.” He said as he sat on the stool across from her. 

“Oh?” 

“Yeah. Even on a good day the campus post office isn’t exactly an exciting gig but today has been particularly boring.” 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She smiled at him. 

“Thank you. But then this gorgeous red-head comes running in, fighting for her life and the life of the priceless possessions she carried and things started looking up.” He winked at her.

“Oh you’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?” She laughed and put her elbows on the table, leaning toward him. “Don’t worry. I like it.” She whispered conspiratorially.

He laughed and put his own elbows on the table to lean forward. “Good cause subtlety is not my strong suit.” 

She laughed and they started chatting, first about their major then about books they loved. She sat there long after the storm had subsided and while he had to get up a few times to help people who came in he mostly stayed at the table, hanging out with her. Before she left to go to class she texted him so he had her number. 

“Maybe we can hang out this weekend?” He asked, voice hopeful. 

“Yeah.” She smiled. “Some friends and I are going to a concert Saturday. Want to go?” 

“Sure.” He said, and cringed at how eager he sounded. 

She laughed lightly. “You don’t even want to know who’s playing?” 

“I told you I’m not subtle.” He joked. “Honestly, if I get to hang out with you I don’t care what kind of music it is.” 

She bit her lip and nodded. “Okay. I’ll text you the details.” She waved at him and headed to her class. Texting Diana on her way. 

***********************************************

Anne shimmied into her tightest jeans and turned to inspect herself in the mirror. “What do you think?” She asked Diana. 

Diana glanced over from her desk where she was sitting working on her makeup. “Hot.” She said and went back to her mascara. “James might explode in his pants when he sees you.” 

“Eww, Di. That’s gross.” She muttered as she flipped through their shared closet for a top. 

“Gilbert might too.” 

Anne froze. “What? Gilbert is coming?” 

“That’s what Jerry said.” 

Anne sighed. She’d managed to avoid Gilbert since that night, no small feat since Diana and Jerry were spending so much time together. She’d learned he was a pre-med major though and figured he probably spent most of his time at the library. 

But now he was going to be at this concert. A concert that was essentially a first date for her with James. And she didn’t know how she felt about any of that. 

“Do you think it’ll be awkward?” She asked Diana. 

“Oh totally.” Her friend replied cheerfully and Anne rolled her eyes. 

“Thanks, Di.” 

“It’s also going to be hot, Anne. Watching these two guys fight for your attention.” 

“Gilbert will hardly be fighting for my attention. If anything he’ll be going out of his way to pretend I don’t exist in case Jerry somehow developed mind-reading abilities.” Anne put on a shirt and looked at Diana expectantly who shook her head. 

“Well either way I’m excited to meet James. See if he’s as hot as you say.”

“Oh he’s hot. And sweet.” She pulled on a different shirt and turned to Diana who nodded her approval. “I’m actually looking forward to getting to know him better, you know?”

“Good.” Diana put her arm around Anne’s waist. “You deserve to be happy.” 

Anne smiled and kissed her friend's cheek. “Thanks, Di. You do too. I swear if Jerry hurts you I’ll kill him.” 

Diana’s dimples flashed as they gathered their purses and left their dorm room. “You won’t have to cause I’ll kill him first.” 

**************************************************

Gilbert stood with Jerry outside of the concert venue, waiting for the girls to arrive. When Jerry had mentioned Anne was going to the concert Gilbert had jumped at the chance to join them. He’d wanted to talk to her again since that night but hadn’t had the opportunity. 

He could barely go two minutes without thinking of her standing in the bathroom, wearing nothing but her skirt and boots, with the moonlight making her skin glow. He shook his head to clear the image and perked up when Jerry pushed off the wall they were leaning against. He followed his friend’s eyes and saw a small group of people heading their way. 

His eyes immediately sought her out, her red hair gleaming even in the low light of the street lamps. His breath caught in his throat when he took in her outfit, dark jeans that hugged every inch of her long legs, black leather jacket over a crop top that showed off a large expanse of her smooth midriff. 

She and Diana weren’t alone and Diana took care of introducing him to their friends Cole and his boyfriend Scott. He kept trying to catch Anne’s eye but she avoided looking right at him. After a few minutes of chatting the group made the decision to head inside.

“I’ll see you guys in there, I’m waiting for someone.” Anne said to them.

He jumped at the chance. “I’ll wait with you.”

She finally looked up at him, blue eyes unreadable. “Sure.”

He waited until the group was out of earshot. “Look Anne, I’m really sorry about that night. I didn’t handle it well I know but I just want to make sure you know it wasn’t you. I wish things could be different.” 

“It’s fine, Gilbert.” She said, staring off down the street. 

“Is it? I mean, obviously I don’t know you that well but you seem pissed.”

“I’m not pissed. I get it. It’s fine.” 

He was silent for a minute, waiting for her to say more but when she didn’t he sighed. “Okay. Can we at least be friends? I’d really, really like to be friends.” 

She snickered but nodded. “Sure. Friends.” 

Before he could respond she pushed off the wall they’d been leaning on, striding toward a guy walking up the street. 

“Hey!” He heard her greet him enthusiastically. 

Gilbert sucked in a breath as he watched them hug, the guy’s hands low on her back. They approached him and Anne gestured to Gilbert. 

“James, this is Gilbert, my brother's roommate.” 

“Nice to meet you, man.” James held out his hand and Gilbert only hesitated briefly before taking it. 

“You too, Jake.”

“It’s James, Gilbert.” Anne rolled her eyes and took James’ hand. “Let’s go in.”

Gilbert spent the whole night standing further back from the group and glaring at the back of James’ head. As the night progressed and everyone got drunker James and Anne got more and more handsy with each other and it was all Gilbert could do not to physically rip James’ hands off of her. He finally made his way to the bar to cool off knowing he had no right to be so mad. 

He was sipping his beer and glowering when he heard a familiar voice and suddenly felt arms wind around his neck from the side. 

“Winnie?” He looked down at her. “Hey!”

“Hey, Gil!” She shouted over the music. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. You?”

“Fantastic! I love this band!” She started dancing and he laughed. 

“Yeah they’re pretty good! It’s been awhile, how are things with Henry?” 

She made a face and shook her head. “We broke up! I’m free as a bird!” She leaned closer to him, resting her hand on his thigh. “You want to buy me a drink?” 

He smiled. “Sure.” He gestured to the bartender and once she had her drink in hand they made their way back to the edge of the crowd. She was dancing in front of him and he put his hands on her hips to keep her steady. He was finally starting to feel a little better when his eyes caught a flash of red. He glanced over and caught Anne’s eye as she was making her way out of the herd of people. Her eyes flickered down to Winnie and back up to his before she turned and quickly headed to the bathrooms. 

He sighed heavily and turned back to Winnie. She looped her arms around his neck and leaned back to look up at him. “You know, I always had a huge crush on you in freshman chem.” 

“Oh you did huh?” He asked, amused. 

“Oh yeah. But you were so intimidatingly intense I couldn’t bring myself to tell you!” She laughed. 

“Winifred Rose was intimidated by me?” He asked with mock surprise and she giggled. 

“Yes! All the girls were.”

“Yeah but you’re not all the girls. Guys fell all over themselves to get your attention.” He smiled at the memory of how many guys asked him if he’d put in a good word with his chem partner. 

She smiled and pulled him down to whisper in his ear. “Well I only wanted yours.” She said and pulled back just enough to press her lips to his.

He hesitated only briefly before kissing her back and she quickly angled her head to deepen it. After a minute he pulled back and she smiled up at him before turning back around to continue dancing. When the band finished their last encore song Winnie told him she had to find her friends and asked if he’d wait for her outside. He nodded and headed outside to find Jerry and Diana making out against the wall by the entrance. 

“Jerry.” His friend broke away from Diana. 

“Gilbert! We were looking for you man, where’d you disappear to?” 

Before Gilbert could answer Winnie appeared next to him and Jerry grinned. “Ooooh that explains it. Hey Winnie Rose.” 

“Hey Jerry Cuthbert, long time no see.” She gave him a hug. “Who’s this?” She gave Diana a not so subtle once over. 

“This is my girlfriend, Diana.” Jerry replied and Gilbert saw Diana’s eyes widen slightly. 

“Girlfriend, eh?” Winnie laughed. “I bow down to you, Diana. The Jerry I know is untameable. I’m Winnie.” Diana gave her a brief smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

“Where did everyone else go?” Gilbert asked, looking around for Anne. 

“Cole and Scott are still inside. Anne and James left a while ago.” Diana answered. 

He tried to keep his face placid. “Oh, before it ended?” 

“Yeah, Anne didn’t feel well.” Jerry said, pulling out his phone. 

“Is she okay?” Gilbert asked before he could stop himself and Diana narrowed her eyes at him. 

“She’s fine, James will take care of her.” She replied and he swallowed hard, nodding. 

“He better not take too good care of her.” Jerry muttered and Gilbert silently agreed with him. “I’m calling an Uber.” He glanced at Gilbert and his eyes flickered over to Winnie. “You coming back with us, Gil?” 

“Uh, yeah.” He glanced down at Winnie who was smiling up at him. “I have an early morning study group tomorrow, Win. I’ll text you okay?” She couldn’t hide the surprise but recovered quickly. 

“Yeah, sure, Gilbert. It was good to see you.” She gave him a hug and left them to join her friends. 

Gilbert stared out the window on their way back to the frat house, ignoring the sounds of Jerry and Diana making out in the backseat. He was already annoyed he’d be sleeping on the couch all night and was trying hard not to think about what Anne and James were doing at that moment. 

**************************************

“Nothing happened.” Anne said as she blew on the cup of tea the server set down in front of her. “We just talked for a while and then we kissed for a few minutes and then he left.” She shrugged. 

“Are you going to see him again?” Cole asked, digging into his pancakes. 

“Yeah, I think so. He’s really nice and we have a lot in common.” She shrugged. 

“How was the kissing?” Diana asked. 

“Good. I mean, he’s a good kisser. I don’t know, I wasn’t really in the mood so…” She trailed off and her friends nodded. 

“Not like with Gilbert Blythe.” Diana joked. “You were definitely in the mood that night.” 

“What?” Cole exclaimed. “What are we talking about?” 

Anne rolled her eyes and gave Diana a dirty look but she just smirked back at her. “I hooked up with Gilbert a few weeks ago.” 

Cole slammed his hands down on the table dramatically. “How could you keep this from me, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert? How dare you?” 

Anne and Diana laughed. “Because there wasn’t really anything to tell.” She replied. 

“Oh please!” Diana turned to Cole. “They didn’t even know each other’s names but they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves and banged in the upstairs bathroom at a party at Jerry and Gilbert’s house. And then they found out who the other one was and Gilbert freaked out about having sex with his best friend’s little sister.” She turned back to Anne. “That about sums it up right?” 

Anne nodded. “Pretty much.” 

“Damn.” Cole muttered but his face grew concerned as he looked at his friend. “Are you okay? I mean, it’s not like you to take sex lightly.” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She lied but should have known better. Cole and Diana knew her too well and they both gave her looks that said they didn’t believe her. She sighed. “I mean, I am fine for the most part. I liked him and there was definitely a spark and good God the sex was seriously mind blowing. But the situation sucked. And yeah it would be nice if he liked me enough to just tell Jerry but he obviously doesn’t and I just have to be okay with that, right? And anyway, last night he asked if we could be friends and I said okay so now we’re friends I guess.” She finished her speech and took a big bite of bacon. 

“I’m sorry, Anne.” Cole said sympathetically. 

She waved him off. “It’s okay.” She pointed at Diana. “Now it’s my turn to spill Diana’s big news. I swear I never thought I’d see the day but I think my brother might be in love. Jerry called her his girlfriend the other night.” 

Diana blushed and Cole gasped dramatically, making both girls giggle. They chatted as they finished their breakfast, promising to have a movie night the following weekend before parting ways to go to their respective classes. 

***********************************************

The barista called her name and Anne grabbed her coffee before heading to the upstairs sitting area. She paused at the top, scanning the room to look for an open table but her eyes stopped when she spotted Gilbert at a table in the corner. He had headphones in and was bent over, concentrating hard on the papers and books spread out in front of him. She hesitated before mustering up the courage and walking his way. As she approached his table he glanced up and her heart skipped a beat at the way his face lit up when he saw her. He pulled his headphones out quickly. 

“Hey!” He greeted her. 

“Hey.” She smiled. “How are you?” 

“I’m good. You want to sit?” He gestured to the seat across from him and when she nodded he started moving some of his study materials to make room for her own. “How are you?” He asked as she pulled some books out of her backpack. 

“Good.” She smiled at him. “What are you studying?” She asked, peering at his book. 

“Organic Chemistry.” He said and laughed at the look of disgust on her face. “It’s not so bad.” 

“Better you than me.” She shuddered. “I am barely passing regular chemistry. I just don’t have a knack for it, I guess.” 

“Who do you have?” 

“Gunnersen.” 

“Ah, he’s not so bad. I’ve had him for a few classes. Once you figure out his testing format you’ll be golden. And I happen to know it well.” He winked at her, flashing his dimples, and she felt heat pool between her legs. 

She cleared her throat and shifted. “Do you think you’d be willing to share your secrets with me? You know, since we’re friends and all?” 

He pretended to think it over. “How about I do you one better. I’ll help you study.” 

“Really?” She looked surprised. “You’d do that? I mean, I know you have a lot on your plate.” 

“It’s okay, I’d be happy to. Do Thursday nights at 7 work for you? We could meet here or at the library.” 

She nodded. “That would be really great, I appreciate it. Not to brag but I’m not used to not having perfect grades.” She gave a light laugh. “So I’ve been stressing pretty hard about it.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. What are friends for, right?” He asked and her smile faltered slightly. They gazed at each other for a long moment before Anne looked down her book. 

“So.” She fiddled with the pen in her hand. “The blonde from the concert was really pretty.” 

“Oh, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “She was my lab partner for a couple of classes our freshman year.” 

Anne nodded and blindly highlighted a line in her textbook, trying to look nonchalant. 

“How is Joe?” He asked, smiling inwardly when she rolled her eyes at him. 

“James is fine.” 

They both fell silent as they leaned over their books, both acutely aware of the other’s presence.

“Anne.” She looked up at him expectantly and he cleared his throat. He desperately wanted to tell her how he couldn’t stop thinking about her. How she haunted his dreams, how any time he saw even a flash of red his whole body tensed with anticipation. She looked at him with those giant blue eyes and he felt himself getting lost in their depths. “I uh -” She raised her eyebrows questioningly. “I’m really glad we can do this.” He finally said, feeling like a coward. “You know, be friends.” 

She smiled. “Me too, Gilbert.” She said and went back to her book. They settled into a comfortable silence, working across from each other for a few hours, stopping periodically to take a break to chat and laugh. Both of them feeling like they’d known the other one for years but neither willing to say that out loud. 

**********************************************

“Is James meeting us there?” Diana asked as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. It was Halloween and they were heading to Gilbert and Jerry’s frat house for a party. The two girls had decided to go as an angel and the devil and Diana was all decked out in a skin tight, short white dress with angel wings and a sparkly halo. She had finished it off with knee-high white socks and sparkly silver stilettos. Anne’s dress was also short and tight but hers was black with a devil’s tail affixed to the back and a devil horn headband on her head. She zipped up her black boots, acutely aware of the fact that they were the same ones Gilbert said he’d be fantasizing about for the rest of his life. 

“Yeah. He has a paper to finish first.” Anne replied as she added another coat of mascara to her pale lashes. “I assume Winnie will be there, yeah?” 

Diana rolled her eyes. “Unfortunately. When the four of us went to the movies the other night she followed me into the bathroom and wouldn’t shut up about how Gilbert was going to cream his pants when he saw her costume.” 

Anne felt the same ache that came any time Diana mentioned Gilbert and Winnie together, a stab of jealousy that she’d grown accustomed to in the last few weeks. For their parts, Anne and Gilbert were careful not to mention their significant others when they met to study on Thursdays. Choosing instead to talk about anything and everything else and she definitely preferred it that way. But tonight was going to be the first time she’d actually see them together and she was a little nervous about it. 

“What is she going as?” Anne asked casually. 

Diana rolled her eyes again. “Sexy nurse of course since Gilbert is going to be a doctor. So fucking cliche.” 

Anne snorted. “I mean, we’re not exactly above the cliche sexy halloween costumes here, Di.” 

“I know! But I mean, a nurse? Really?” 

Anne just laughed and shook her head, knowing Diana was only saying all this because of her fierce loyalty to her bosom friend. “Who knows, maybe it is a fantasy of his. I mean what guy - especially one who wants to be a doctor - hasn’t had the sexy nurse fantasy?” She finished with her mascara and turned to her friend.

They eyed each other for a minute and burst into laughter. “This was such a good costume idea, Anne.” Diana said, giving her a hug. “We’re so fucking hot.” Anne laughed and grabbed a bottle of vodka from their mini fridge, pouring them each a shot before they headed out. 

*******************************************

Gilbert was laughing and talking with some friends in the kitchen when he heard Jerry yell out ‘hey babe’ and turned to see Anne and Diana enter the room. He nearly choked on his beer when he saw she had on the same boots that haunted his dreams and the dress above it left very little to the imagination. He managed to recover though and gave her a side hug. 

“Hey! You look uh -” He searched for a word, fully aware that Jerry was within hearing distance. “ - devilish.” He finally said. 

She laughed and eyed him. “Thanks. And you are…?” She took in the white lab coat he was wearing over a pair of jeans, with a stethoscope hanging down his bare chest and raised her eyebrows at him. 

He laughed. “Sexy doctor?” He phrased it as a question and she laughed again, eyeing his bare chest and mentally licking her lips. “I know, it’s stupid. I literally just didn’t have time to think of anything else.” He scratched the back of his neck, body heating up under her gaze. 

“Well.” She finally said, eyes back on his. “At least you’ll match your date.”

“What?” He said dumbly but was interrupted by arms wrapping around him from behind. He turned and Winnie smiled up at him. “Hey.” He said, hugging her. 

“Hey gorgeous.” She replied and took a step back, doing a little spin. “What do you think?” 

“Uh, it’s great.” He managed to get out realizing what Anne meant. “Sexy nurse, huh?” She laughed and he turned back to introduce her to Anne but the red-head was gone. He sighed and went about making Winnie a drink before the two of them headed into the living area where couples were crowded together dancing. Winnie downed her drink quickly and pulled him into the middle of it. They were dancing for several songs when he leaned down and yelled in her ear that he was going to get some air. She pouted at him a little but kept dancing. 

He headed out to the back deck breathing in the cold air. He was standing there listening to the music and ignoring the couples paired off throughout the open area when he heard a familiar laugh and turned to see Anne sitting on James’ lap. His gut twisted as he watched the blonde guy run a hand up and down Anne’s thigh as she leaned in to kiss him. Gilbert turned away quickly, unable to stomach anymore and headed back into the house. He headed upstairs, hoping that Jerry and Diana hadn’t locked themselves in the room again. Thankfully he found it open and sprawled out on his bed. 

He wished he knew what it was about her that he just couldn’t shake. She was definitely hot and the sex had been beyond amazing but it was more than that. The connection he’d mentioned that first night was still there and no matter how hard he tried with Winnie he just couldn’t get Anne out of his head. He groaned and ran a hand over his face. Life really was fucking unfair. Just then his door opened and he sat up on his elbows. 

“There you are!” Winnie said as she glided into the room. “I was wondering where you’d gotten to.” 

“Yeah, sorry. It was really hot down there, I was feeling a bit sick.” 

“Oh no!” She said dramatically. “Do you need Nurse Winnie to make you feel better?” She asked, all wide eyes and innocence as she crawled onto his bed. 

“Uh.” He choked a little as she straddled him, pressing down firmly. And God help him; he couldn’t keep his body from reacting. “That’s okay, Win.” 

She giggled lightly. “Oh I’d say it’s more than okay.” She said as she ground against him. He closed his eyes and fought to steady his breathing. She leaned down to kiss him and he let her for a minute before he suddenly pushed her back up and got out from under her quickly. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked, sounding more than a little put out. 

“Nothing. Sorry. I just…” He sighed. “Look Winnie, I think you’re great, really I do. And don’t get me wrong, you look incredibly hot in that outfit. But I just - I don’t really see this going anywhere. I’d like us to be friends but I don’t see you as more than that.” 

She stared at him. “Seriously?” She finally asked and he nodded, sheepish. 

“Yeah.” She scrambled off the bed. “Look, I’m sorry, Winnie.” She just glared at him as she straightened her clothes and left without a word. 

He groaned and smashed his pillow over his face, laying like that for a while before deciding to head back down to the party and make himself something stronger than the beers he’d been drinking. He found Jerry and Diana in the kitchen playing some kind of card drinking game with a few people. Diana moved into Jerry’s lap so Gilbert could take her seat. 

“What’s up, man? You look like shit.” Jerry asked and pushed a shot of something clear his way. 

Gilbert downed it quickly. “I just told Winnie I only want to be friends.” 

“Seriously?” Jerry’s eyebrows went sky high. “But she’s been after you for like two years, man. And she’s fucking hot. Ow!” He yelped as Diana elbowed him. “Not as hot as you of course, babe.” He placated her and pressed a kiss to her neck, making her giggle. 

“You okay, Gilbert?” Diana asked him as Jerry nibbled her ear. 

“Yeah, I just feel like an asshole.” 

“I’d think you’d be more of an asshole if you kept seeing her even though you didn’t like her like that.” Diana said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

He smiled at her and took another shot. “Thanks, Di. Anyway, what are we playing? Count me in the next round.” 

By the third round his vision was starting to get blurry and Jerry and Diana were barely paying attention to the game, much more focused on their tongues down each other’s throats. He was about to call it quits when he saw red out of the corner of his eye and spotted Anne walking into the kitchen with James right behind her. She stopped at the table, taking in the scene and smirking. 

“Hey Gil.” She said. 

“Hey Anne.” He looked past her at James. “Hey Josh.” 

“Uh, it’s James. But hey.” 

Anne rolled her eyes. “He knows your name.” She told James and turned back to the table. “How drunk are they?” She asked, pointing at Diana and Jerry. 

“On a scale of 1-10 I’d say a 13.” He replied. “I may be at a 9.” 

She sighed. “Diana.” She said and got no response. “Diana!” She said louder and Diana broke away from Jerry to peer up at her friend. 

“Anne!” She jumped off of Jerry’s lap and wrapped her arms around the red-head. “I’m so happy to see you! I love you so much!” She slurred. “We definitely had the sexiest costumes. And you were the hottest devil ever! I mean these fucking boots, am I right, Gilbert?” She asked, giving him a knowing look. He nodded obediently, not meeting Anne’s eye.

“Are you staying here, Di?” Anne asked, pulling back from her friend’s hug. Diana was fixated on fiddling with her devil horns though and didn’t answer so she turned to Jerry. “Jer - Diana staying with you?” 

“You bet your ass, little sister.” He said and grabbed Diana around the waist, hauling her back into his lap and laughing at her shriek. “It’s a good thing she has wings cause she probably won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” He joked and Diana slapped his shoulder. 

“Okay, gross. Seriously.” Anne shuddered. “Well, we’re leaving, Di. James is going to take me home.” 

Gilbert’s stomach lurched but he kept his face trained on his phone as he pretended to scroll through it. 

Jerry broke away from kissing Diana’s neck and gave James a glassy-eyed glare. “You better fucking get her home safe. I will kill you if something happens to her.” 

Anne rolled her eyes and leaned over to kiss first Diana’s cheek and then Jerry’s. “I’ll be fine.” She grabbed James’ hand. “Let’s go. Bye Gil.” 

“Bye Anne. Bye Jack.” Jerry snorted and Diana giggled but Gilbert wasn’t feeling very amused.


	3. Chapter 3

“I can’t believe I got an A in Chemistry.” Anne breathed happily into the phone. “All thanks to you.” 

Gilbert’s chuckle came through the speaker. “I mean I helped but you put in all the work and effort. It’s your victory.” 

“Well that’s true. I am fucking brilliant.” She joked and he laughed. “So how is Alberta?” 

“Good. My parents always refuse to decorate the house until I get home so we spent all day doing that. My mom kept crying every time she brought out an ornament from when I was a kid which was like almost all of them so that was fun.” 

Anne laughed. “That sounds really nice though. I don’t really have any ornaments like that. Although Marilla did start buying Jerry and I our own each year when we moved into Green Gables.” 

“Shit, I’m sorry, Anne. I didn’t mean to -” He started. 

“It’s okay.” She cut him off. “Just because my childhood kind of sucked doesn’t mean you can’t tell me about yours. And really, mine would have been way worse if it hadn’t been for Jerry. Anyway, I like hearing about yours. What other Christmas traditions do you guys have?” 

They talked for a while longer, him aghast when he found out she had never seen Die Hard. “It’s the best Christmas movie!” He proclaimed. She was laughing when she heard Marilla call her down for dinner. 

“I gotta go but maybe I can call you later and we can watch it together? I have to see what the hype is all about.” 

“Yeah!” He said eagerly and she smiled. They ended the call and she headed downstairs. 

“Who were you talking to?” Jerry asked her as she sat down next to him at the table. 

“Gilbert. I wanted to thank him for helping me get an A in Chem.” She replied, grabbing a roll from the basket Marilla set down on the table. 

“An A? That’s wonderful, Anne.” Matthew said. 

“Yeah, Gilbert helped me study. I definitely couldn’t have done it without his help.” She said, taking a bite of green beans. 

“He sounds like a nice boy. He and Jerry have lived together so long I can’t believe we’ve never met him.” Marilla said, passing the meatloaf to Matthew. 

“Yeah. He is a nice boy. Not sure why he’s friends with Jerry.” She joked and stuck her tongue out at him when he threw a roll at her head. 

“And how is James, Anne?” Marilla asked to distract them from escalating their food fight. 

“Oh, he’s good.” Anne mumbled and Jerry snorted. “What?” She glared at him. 

“‘He’s good’.” He mimicked. “The guy has zero personality.” 

“That’s not true!” She exclaimed. She turned to Matthew and Marilla. “He’s really nice and smart. And he’s funny.” 

Jerry snorted again and she glared at him. “You just haven’t even tried to get to know him. Too busy with your tongue down my best friend’s throat all the time.” Jerry stuck his tongue out at her and wiggled it around and it was her turn to throw a roll at him. “You’re so gross.” She muttered. 

“Please stop throwing the bread.” Marilla sighed. “How are things with Diana, Jerry? I ran into her mother the other day and she seems to think things are getting quite serious with you two.” She arched an eyebrow at him, fully aware of her son’s tendencies to bounce from girl to girl. 

Jerry turned beet red. “Things are good. I guess they’re serious.” 

“You guess?” Anne laughed. “Jerry told her he loved her.” 

“Anne!” Jerry groaned. “She told you?” 

“Of course she told me, you idiot, she’s my best friend.” 

Marilla clapped her hands. “That is exciting! Jerry, I’m so happy for you. Diana Barry is a lovely girl, so well-mannered and sweet.” Jerry and Anne exchanged an amused look but stayed quiet. 

“You just make sure you treat her right, son.” Matthew cut in and Jerry nodded solemnly. 

After Jerry and Anne had finished with the dishes Anne went back up to her room to read for a bit. Jerry stuck his head in a little while later. 

“Hey.” He said, coming in and sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m taking Diana to the movies, you want to go?” 

She made a face and shook her head. “Nope, not in the mood to be a third wheel.” She joked. “Have fun though.” 

“Thanks. Hey listen, Anne.” He sounded so serious she looked up from her book. “I’m sorry if it seems like I don’t care about getting to know James. I mean, if you actually like him I’ll put more of an effort in okay?” 

She smiled and leaned forward to hug him. “You’re such a softie, Jerry Cuthbert.” 

He rolled his eyes and pulled away from her. “Don’t you dare spread that around, Shirley.” 

She mimed zipping her lips and he chuckled, waving goodbye as he left the room. She waited a little while until she knew he was gone and queued up Die Hard on her laptop before calling Gilbert, already smiling in anticipation of talking to him again. 

*******************************************

“Ugh. That is disgusting.” Anne muttered as she set the coffee cup back down and Gilbert laughed.

“It’s just coffee, Anne.” 

“Exactly! You need something else in there, at least some cream if nothing else.” She pushed hers to him. “Try mine.” 

He took a sip and cringed. “I don’t know how you can even drink that, it’s like drinking syrup.” 

“It’s hazelnut and vanilla! So freaking good.” She took a sip and closed her eyes. “Mmmm.” She licked her lips slowly and he felt the air leave his lungs. She opened her eyes and grinned at him and he managed to smile back. “I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree, Blythe.” She said, giggling lightly.

“I guess so.” He muttered. “So what did you get on your bio test?” He asked quickly to change the subject and distract himself from the fact that she had a little whipped cream on her upper lip that he desperately wanted to lick off. 

“92.” She answered, running her tongue over her lip absently as she filled out a note card. It took him a second to register what she said. 

“Hey that’s great!” He said a little too enthusiastically and she rolled her eyes at him. 

“It’s fine. I’d rather it be a high 90.” 

“Hey, an A is an A, Cuthbert.” 

She rolled her eyes. “And C’s get degrees, Blythe.” He chuckled. “What can I say, I’m an overachiever.” She shrugged.

“What do you want to do with your English degree?” He asked. 

“Teach. I had an English teacher in high school, Mrs. Stacy. She was awesome and really inspired me to want to pass along my love of learning and books.” 

He nodded. “You think high school? Or younger?” 

“I don’t know. I used to think high school age but now that I’m at university I kind of like the idea of going all the way and getting my Ph.D. So maybe higher ed?” She shrugged. 

“Well, no matter what age you’ll be great at it.” He smiled and she blushed slightly and gestured to his books. 

“What about you? What made you want to be a doctor?” 

“Oh.” He glanced down and fidgeted with the pen he was holding. “My dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer when I was 12. We spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals and the doctors and nurses were just so awesome. They really took care of him and me and my mom. I just want to pass that along, you know?”

She nodded and reached across the table to put her hand over his. “That must have been hard. I’m sorry.” 

He nodded. “It was but he beat it.” He smiled at her. “But I never forgot about them.”

She smiled back. “Well, you’re going to be an amazing doctor, I just know it.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, both smiling before he looked back down at his books, clearing his throat. 

They had been studying in a comfortable silence for awhile when Anne sat back and looked at him. “So, did Jerry ask you about Spring Break?” 

He looked up, surprised. “What about it? Aren’t you going to meet James’ family or something?” 

She hesitated. “Uh no. We broke up.” 

His eyebrows flew up and he tried hard to school his face but she didn’t miss the hope in his eyes and it made her stomach fill up with butterflies. “Oh, I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” 

She snickered. “Are you? You were kind of a dick to him, Gil.” 

He gave her a sheepish smile. “I was just messing around.” She rolled her eyes. “When did that happen?” He asked casually. 

“Last week. He’s a nice guy, I just didn’t really see it going anywhere. No real spark, I guess.” 

“Are you okay?” He asked, genuinely concerned. 

She nodded. “Yeah, totally fine. Honestly, I haven’t told him yet but I think Jerry will be affected worse than me. He’s made all this effort to get to know James because I gave him a hard time about it at Christmas.” She laughed. “He’s actually probably going to be really pissed at me for wasting his time.” 

Gilbert laughed. “That sounds about right.” 

She took a sip of coffee, trying to appear casual. “Anyway, at Christmas Marilla mentioned how she couldn’t believe she’d never met you so Jerry had the idea for you to stay with us at Green Gables for Spring Break.”

He arched an eyebrow. “That was Jerry’s idea?” 

She laughed. “Okay it was mine but he definitely likes the idea. I mean, if you don’t mind that he’ll be gone most of the time hanging out with Diana.”

“As long as you don’t mind entertaining me all week then I’m down.” He flashed his dimples at her and the butterflies in her stomach danced. 

“I think I can manage it.” She smiled back and they each went back to their work, trying hard not to let their giddiness show. 

*************************************************

“Oh it’s so good to finally meet you, Gilbert! Please come inside.” Marilla ushered them in, stopping Anne and Jerry to give them each a hug before they entered the house. “Matthew had to run into town but he’ll be back soon.” 

“Thank you for having me, Miss Cuthbert.” Gilbert said, politely. “Green Gables really is as beautiful as Anne described.” 

“Oh thank you! That’s very kind of you to say. And please call me Marilla.” She smiled at him. “Jerry, why don’t you show Gilbert to the guest room. Supper will be ready in about half an hour.” 

The three young people trekked up the stairs and Anne made a beeline for her room to unpack a bit before heading back down to the guest room. Jerry was laying on the bed texting while Gilbert unpacked his clothes. Anne flopped down on the bed next to her brother. “There’s a party at the ruins tonight.” She said and Jerry gave her a look. 

“A high school party, Anne?” He asked and she rolled her eyes at him. 

“It’s mostly people from my year actually but there will be some people from your year too.” 

“Really?” Jerry perked up. “Will Sarah Akers be there?” 

She glared at him. “I don’t know, Jerry. Do I have to remind you that you have a girlfriend?” 

He rolled his eyes at her. “Not for me. For Gilbert.” He turned to his friend who’d been listening to their exchange. “Sarah Akers is fucking hot. And she will love you. I can guarantee you she’ll go down on you. Trust me.” Anne smacked the back of Jerry’s head hard. “Ow, Anne!” He rubbed the spot. “What was that for? It’s a known fact that the girl loves giving blowjobs.” 

Anne ignored him and was nonchalantly picking at her cuticles, waiting for Gilbert to answer. 

“Thanks, Jerry. I’m good.” Gilbert said, amused. 

“Oh come on, man. When was the last time you got laid?” Jerry started flipping through his phone and missed the look that flickered between Anne and Gilbert. “Here.” He showed Gilbert his screen. “This is Sarah. She’s even hotter now.” 

Gilbert shoved the phone away from his face. “Jerry, we’ve been friends for three years. Do you know me at all? You know I don’t do random hookups.” 

Anne bit her lip and pretended to be very interested in the textbook Gilbert had set on his bed. 

“Well maybe you should. You’ve been in a dry spell. It worries me, my friend.” Jerry said sagely and Anne snorted. 

“Shut up and leave him alone, Jerry.” She shoved at him and rolled off the bed. “I told Diana we’d go pick her up at 9.” She said and left the room. Jerry followed her out yelling at her not to hog the bathroom while Gilbert shook his head at them. 

***************************************************

“So Anne, who’s the guy that came with you guys?” Tillie asked, looking across the bonfire to where Gilbert was chatting and laughing with some of Jerry’s friends. They’d been at the party for a couple of hours already and Anne was honestly surprised it had taken Tillie that long to ask.

“That’s Jerry’s roommate, Gilbert.” Diana jumped in. “He’s staying with them this week for break.” 

“Damn he is so hot.” Tillie fanned herself. “Anne, if you’re not hitting that, I will.” The girls laughed and Anne shook her head. 

“Looks like he’s already been claimed anyway.” Jane remarked and the group collectively turned their heads to see Sarah Akers draping herself on him. Anne swallowed the bitterness as she watched him smile down at the older girl. She turned away quickly and felt Diana’s hand on her back, rubbing small, comforting circles. She grabbed the bottle of rum Josie was holding and took a swig before grabbing Diana’s hands. 

“Come on girls, let’s dance!” She yelled and the girls all laughed and followed her to the clearing where a group of people were already dancing. 

Gilbert watched Anne talking with her friends, trying to pay attention to the conversation around him but it was tough. The light from the bonfire was catching her hair making it glow and she looked utterly ethereal. He itched to go talk to her but stayed where he was, frozen to the old stone wall he was sitting on. 

“So Gilbert.” Sarah purred next to him and he tore his eyes away from Anne to look down at the blonde. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

“Oh no thanks.” He said, smiling politely and taking a swig of beer. He turned back and his eyes followed Anne as she started dancing with her friends. He heard Sarah huff and get up from her spot next to him, obviously annoyed but he didn’t care. 

After a while Jerry sauntered over with his arm around Diana’s waist. “You ready to go, man?” 

Gilbert nodded. “I’ll go get Anne.” He said and walked over to where she was dancing with her friends. He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned and when she saw him her face split into a radiant smile, making his heart skip a beat. 

“Gilbert!” She yelled and threw her arms around his neck, making him stagger a little before he caught his footing. “I’m kind of drunk!” She yelled over the music, laughing. 

He chuckled. “I know, me too. You ready to go?” 

She nodded and looped her arm through his, leaning against him as they walked to where Jerry and Diana were waiting for them. “My parents are in Charlottetown tonight.” Diana said. “You guys want to come back to my place?” Anne nodded enthusiastically as she climbed into the backseat of Jerry’s car. Gilbert got in next to her, giving Diana the front seat. Anne stared out the window as they made the short drive to the Barry’s house, biting back a smile when she felt Gilbert’s hand cover hers on the seat between them. 

The four of them played a drinking game for a while before Diana and Jerry disappeared upstairs leaving Anne and Gilbert alone in the living room. Anne sent a text to Marilla that they’d be staying at Diana’s and then she laid down on the sofa. Gilbert sat at the other end, pulling her feet into his lap. “Did you have fun tonight?” He asked as he smoothed lazy circles over her ankles. 

She closed her eyes at the rush of heat the movement brought to her core. “Yeah. It was nice catching up with my friends.” She glanced down at him to see him staring back at her intently. “Did you have fun?” She whispered. 

He nodded. “I had fun watching you dance.” He smiled and his hand drifted up to stroke her knee. She bit her lip and closed her eyes again, enjoying the feeling of his hand on her skin. “You’re so beautiful.” 

Her eyes flew open at those words and she pulled her legs away from him, sitting up abruptly. He looked at her, surprised. “Did I say something wrong?” 

“Just...can you make up your mind? I mean do you like me or not?” She demanded. 

He let out a breath. “Anne. Liking you was never a question. Did you think it was?” She shrugged and he sighed. “From the second I saw you in the cafe I was attracted to you. And that night, God. I think about it all the time. But these last few months, spending time with you and actually getting to know you?” He gave a little laugh. “Our study sessions are the absolute best part of my week. So yeah, Anne. I like you. A lot.” 

“But not enough to grow a pair and tell my brother.” She muttered. 

“That’s not true.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I admit that when it all went down I was really freaked out about it. And then you started dating that James guy and I figured it didn’t really matter to you so why bring it up to Jerry.” He took a deep breath. “But when you told me you broke up with him and then invited me here this week, I thought maybe you did actually like me too.” 

“I do like you, Gilbert. A lot.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest. His face lit up and she bit her lip to keep from smiling back at him. “If we’re going to do this though, I mean, we have to talk to Jerry.” 

He sighed. “I know.” 

Anne smiled at him. “You know he’s not going to freak out about it as much as you think he is, right?” 

He shook his head. “I don’t know. He’s really protective of you.” 

She sighed and laid back down on the couch. She put her feet back in his lap and he resumed the slow, lazy circles on her feet and ankles. “Yeah. He is.” She took a deep breath. “It’s cause of our childhood.” Her voice shook a little and his hand stilled.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” 

She shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I want to.” She paused and he waited patiently. “I was 3 when I ended up in the same foster home as Jerry. I don’t really remember much but you know, he was 6 so he remembers more. He’d been in that house for a little while when I was put there.” She took a deep breath. “They were pretty abusive. He protected me, kept them away from me as much as he could.” 

“Jesus.” He muttered and squeezed her ankle. 

“He took the brunt of it. We were there for two years before they moved us back to the group home. After that Jerry wouldn’t let us go anywhere apart. He’d kick and scream and throw a fit.” She smiled ruefully. “You know Jerry tends to get what he wants.” He snickered but couldn’t get the picture of a small Jerry and Anne huddling together, trying to keep each other safe.

“We went in and out of a couple of other foster homes but nothing stuck. Jerry was kind of a difficult shithead.” She smiled and Gilbert snorted. “But then we went to go live with Matthew and Marilla when I was 8 and he was 11 and things just clicked. They are actually siblings but they were both adopted when Matthew was a baby by their parents and wanted to pass on the life they’d been given. We lived there for a year when they formally adopted us and we took their last name.” 

“But you hyphenated yours?” He looked at her questioningly. 

“Yeah. Jerry doesn’t know anything about his birth family, he was abandoned at a fire station when he was a day old so his last name didn’t really mean anything to him. But me, my parents died when I was a baby. Car crash. So I felt like I should honor them by keeping it.” 

He nodded understanding and they were both quiet for a long moment. “I’m really sorry you both had to go through that, Anne.” He finally said. “No wonder he’s so protective of you.” 

“Yeah. But deep down he knows I’m not a child anymore and can take care of myself.” She smiled at him and moved until she was straddling him, he immediately put his hands on her thighs. “Plus you’re his best friend. If he knows we’re serious I bet he’ll be happier than you think he will be.” 

“I hope so.” He murmured and leaned up to capture her lips with his. 

She returned the kiss eagerly and he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. She rocked against him for several minutes before pulling away, panting slightly and angling her head so he could trail his lips down her jaw and over her neck. 

“Gil.” She gasped and he made a noise as he sucked lightly at the spot below her ear. “Do you want to go upstairs? To the guest room?” 

He paused and pulled back to look at her. “Are you sure?” 

She bit her lip and nodded, sliding off of him and taking his hand. She led him through the large house and he followed her up the stairs, neither one speaking. He closed the door to the guest room quietly, never taking his eyes off of her. She faced away from him and he walked up behind, slowly running his hands up and down her arms. She leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close. 

They undressed each other slowly and carefully, eyes and fingers and mouths exploring like it was their first time together. When they fell onto the bed, Gilbert held Anne close, whispering sweetly in her ear as he entered her slowly and carefully. She wrapped her legs around his waist tightly and leaned up to capture his lips, their kisses as sweet and slow as his thrusts. When he felt her legs tense he knew she was getting closer so he changed the angle just a little to go deeper. She arched back and a loud moan left her lips. He kissed her sloppily to drown out the sounds as he picked up speed. When she came she bit down on his bottom lip and cried out into his mouth. He gave three stuttering thrusts inside her and grunted as he spilled inside the condom. 

Afterwards they lay there for a long time, holding each other close and breathing heavily. He disposed of the condom and she went to the bathroom to clean herself up before sliding back into bed with him, not bothering to get dressed. She tucked herself against his side and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. 

“You’re so amazing.” He murmured and she smiled. 

“So are you.” She whispered and soon they fell into a deep, peaceful sleep, wrapped tightly around each other.


	4. Chapter 4

Gilbert woke up to gray light seeping through the windows, he started to rub his eyes and felt a weight on one of his arms. He looked down and smiled widely, the night before coming back to him. He turned gently on his side and she murmured a little in her sleep but didn’t wake up, instead moving closer to him. He put his hand on her thigh and rubbed it lightly over the comforter. After a minute she opened her eyes sleepily and groaned when she saw him smiling back at her.   
“Were you watching me sleep?” She muttered and he chuckled. 

“I can’t help it, you’re so pretty.” 

She rolled her eyes and went to sit up but he pulled her back down, pressing his lips to hers. She giggled and tried to pull away. “Morning breath, Gil!” 

He laughed and pinned her down. “I don’t care.” He said, moving his lips to her neck. It didn’t take long for her to stop resisting and afterward she pulled him up to a sitting position as she got out of bed. 

“We should probably get out of here before Jerry and Diana wake up. Not the way we want him to find out.” She said and he nodded. “Marilla always makes french toast on Saturdays and it’s amazing. It’s actually a pretty short walk home.” 

He groaned. “That sounds so good. I’m starving.” 

She smiled and they got dressed before heading into the bathroom and brushing their teeth with the new toothbrushes Diana’s mom always keeps under the sink, standing next to each other and grinning stupidly in the mirror. 

*******************************************

After breakfast Marilla headed into Charlottetown to run some errands while Matthew went out to the barn, leaving Gilbert and Anne to wash the dishes. It started out innocently enough before it turned into a full-fledged water fight and they were soaking wet. Gilbert had Anne pressed against the counter, tickling her sides as she shrieked at him to let her go. Suddenly he felt hands on his shoulder pulling him away and fell with a thud on the floor. Before he could figure out what was happening Jerry was on top of him and his fist connected hard with Gilbert’s jaw. 

Anne was shrieking at Jerry to get off of him as Gilbert shielded himself and tried to grab Jerry’s arms at the same time. “Stop! Jerry! Fucking stop! He wasn’t hurting me!” Jerry suddenly stopped and looked up at her. 

“What?” He said stupidly and she shoved him off of Gilbert and helped Gilbert stand up. 

“He was tickling me, Jerry. For God’s sake!” Anne angled Gilbert’s head so she could look at the jaw he was cradling. 

“He was...what?” Jerry shook his head. 

“We were just messing around.” Gilbert glared at his friend. “That fucking hurt, man.” 

“You were messing around? I mean Anne you were like, screaming.” Jerry looked confused and Anne sighed. 

“Because he was tickling me, Jerry.” She rolled her eyes. “You know how ticklish I am.” 

Jerry looked at Gilbert who avoided his eyes. “Is there...is there something you guys want to tell me?” 

Anne sighed and glanced at Gilbert. “We’re uh, we’re sleeping together?” She phrased it like a question and Gilbert raised his eyebrows at her and she shrugged helplessly. 

There was silence and suddenly Jerry was on Gilbert again, his fist connecting with Gilbert’s stomach. “What the fuck! That’s my little sister! Fucking guy code, man!” He yelled and Gilbert tried to shove him off. 

“Stop man!” Gilbert yelled. “Stop! I fucking love her okay?” 

Jerry froze. Anne froze. Gilbert froze. 

Anne spoke first. “You what?” 

“I -” His eyes darted from her to Jerry before settling back on her. “I do. I love you, Anne.” 

She swallowed thickly and after what felt like an eternity to Gilbert she smiled widely. “I love you too.” 

Jerry stared at them. “What the fuck.” He muttered before sitting down heavily on a barstool at the kitchen island. “Have you been seeing each other behind my back?” 

She sighed as she got a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer to give to Gilbert for his jaw. “No. We hooked up before we knew who the other one was and then Gilbert refused to date me because of your archaic and misogynistic guy code idea.” 

“I mean, I wanted to date her but figured you’d kill me.” He lifted the bag of peas. “Apparently I was right.” 

Jerry shook his head to clear it. “What about James, Anne?” 

She shrugged. “I didn’t like him like I like Gilbert.” She smiled at the curly-haired boy who smiled back at her, wincing at the pain in his jaw. “Like I love Gilbert.” She corrected herself and his grin widened. 

Jerry took a deep breath. “Well fuck. You guys could have told me.” He got up and gave Gilbert a hug, pounding him on the back. “Sorry I hit you.” He said although he didn’t really look all that sorry. “Honestly, I can’t think of a better guy for her.” 

Gilbert started to say something but Jerry stopped him. “But seriously, if you hurt her. I will kill you.” Gilbert swallowed audibly and nodded. 

“Okay.” Jerry nodded and stepped back from him, looking at Anne. “I gotta shower. Diana wants to go to Target, you guys want to go?” Anne nodded slowly and with that he left them alone to go upstairs.

Anne and Gilbert looked at each other for a long moment before Anne burst into laughter. “Okay so it went a little differently than I thought it would but not so bad.” 

He groaned. “Speak for yourself.” 

“Aww, poor baby. I’ll kiss it and make it better.” She said, looping her arms around his neck and smiling up at him. 

“Yeah?” He grinned. “In that case I’m sore in other places too.” 

She giggled and pulled him down for a long kiss. “Worth it?” She whispered and he grinned. 

“Totally.” 

*****************************************

Anne smiled at the crowd as she slowly made her way down the aisle, hands clasped tightly around the bouquet she was holding. As she approached the front her blue eyes met hazel and he winked at her. She bit her lower lip to keep from giggling as her eyes slipped to his left to take in her brother’s appearance. He was clearly nervous, fidgeting with his tie but when she caught his eye and smiled at him he relaxed a bit. Just as she was about to walk past him to her spot he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. 

“I love you, little sister.” He whispered. “Thanks for getting me here.” 

She smiled and patted his arm before taking her place. The music changed and the doors at the back of the church opened. The bride began her walk down the aisle, her father on her right as she beamed at the crowd oohing and aahing over her. Anne glanced over at Jerry and clenched her jaw to keep the tears from spilling as she watched him wipe a tear from his eye. He stared at Diana as she walked closer, grinning so wide Anne thought his face might split. Once in front of him he bent down to kiss Diana’s cheek really fast making the preacher admonish him lightly as the crowd laughed and sat in their seats. 

Later, Anne sat down heavily at a random table, exhausted but happy. Her feet were killing her in the heels she’d insisted on wearing despite Diana telling her she didn’t have to match the other bridesmaids. She slipped them off under the table, moaning at the feeling of freedom before she sat back in her seat and closed her eyes. She smiled and took a few minutes to remember the little details of the night. Her best friend and brother’s first dance as husband and wife, the incredible toast Gilbert made, Diana pushing a piece of cake in Jerry’s face, and the look of sheer happiness on their faces as their friends and family bid them farewell. 

She was lost in her thoughts when she felt her legs being picked up and she opened her eyes to see Gilbert had sat down next to her and pulled her feet into his lap and was busy rubbing them. 

“Oh God.” She groaned, closing her eyes again. “That feels so good.” She rubbed a hand over her giant baby bump. “I can’t wait to get out of this dress. I feel like I’m going to pop.”

He chuckled. “I can’t wait to get you out of that dress.” 

She opened them and saw him grinning wickedly at her. “I love you but you’re crazy if you think I will have any energy left for that tonight.” She muttered but bit her lip to hide her smile. 

“I don’t know what you’re implying. I was planning on drawing my lovely wife a hot bubble bath and giving her swollen feet a nice massage.” 

“Mmmm.” She murmured. “That does sound nice. Although I’m skeptical I will fit in the tub.”

He laughed. “It’s a garden tub, Anne.” 

She opened one eye and looked at him. “Have you seen your wife lately? She’s a whale.” 

“But she’s a beautiful whale.” He countered and she snorted, closing her eyes again as he hit a particularly sore spot on the balls of her foot.

After a few minutes of bliss she opened her eyes and looked around. “I think we can probably escape now.” He helped her stand up and she drew him down for a long kiss. When she broke away she looked up at him wickedly. “You know, I’m suddenly feeling re-energized.” 

He grinned down at her and grabbed her hand, making a beeline for the hotel elevators as she laughed behind him. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”


End file.
